We’re well into the new year people, and you know what that means – we need to start sorting out those 2020 London Running Events. By far the most important task for any runner. The past year has been ridiculous in terms of the best London running events, it seems like there’s a new one taking place every week now. Luckily you’ve got your good buddies over at The Allrounder to help you pick out the best ones.
Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park Half Marathon
If you follow us on social media, you’ll know we spend a lot of time racing over in the Olympic Park. Sure, one reason is that it’s pretty close to us, but it’s also because it’s one of the best places to run in London. Aside from the fact it’s largely free of any cars, it’s actually a really interesting location. Dotted with landmarks, parks, waterways and cafes, the whole area was custom made to give people a place to potter about and relax. It’s also largely flat (aside from the Velodrome and a couple of little hills). Perfect timing for London Marathon training.
Where: Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park
When: Sunday February 16th
Distance: Half-marathon
How Much: £36
Adidas City Runs Series
In 2018 Adidas City Runs launched four events across the capital: Fulham, Shoreditch, Clapham and the 1 hour. We did all but Clapham and they were a damn impressive set of events. They’ve dropped the Clapham event now so it’s a bit easier to hit all of them.
Aside from the 1-hour, which is basically a one-mile loop that you have to circle for an hour, each one is a one-lap 10k event. We got PBs in the Shoreditch event in 2018 – so, if you’re looking for that PB… Great T-shirts as well.
Where: Fulham, Shoreditch and St Pauls
When: Fulham (TBC), Shoreditch (TBC) and St Pauls (5/04)
Distance: 10k, 1 hour (up to about 15k)
How Much: From £35
Virgin Hackney Half
We weren’t actually very keen on this race when it launched in 2014, largely because they decided to put it slap bang in the middle of the summer – it almost killed us. Last year they moved the date forward a couple of months; a decision which made it significantly more enjoyable for the runners. Was still pretty damn hot in 2016 though.
Now it’s one of the best half marathon courses in the city, taking runners on a very enjoyable tour of East London. Virgin are, as you’d hope, on the ball when it comes to event organisation, making the whole thing run seamlessly as one of the best London running events.
Where: Hackney
When: Sunday May 17th
Distance: Half Marathon
How Much: £45
RunThrough Events
As London running events go RunThrough are damn good value for money. They’re also really good at organising races that have a sort of friendly camaraderie. Great for beginners who are a bit nervous about taking part in their first race as well as veterans. Amazing medals as well. Seriously they’re next level.
Where: All over London
When: All year (like seriously, there are loads of events)
Distance: 1 mile to half-marathon
How Much: Between about £18 and £34
Harry Hawkes 10
The Harry Hawkes 10 is a sort of traditional classic in the London race community. The event village is like a little fete, complete with roadside cakes, teas and coffees and bunting. It’s slap bang in the middle of the summer, so it’s often a hot one, so maybe not a PB race, but the route and the crowds are ridiculously nice. It’s a lovely day out in one of London’s nicest areas. There’s a 10k option as well called the Ditton Dash.
Where: Thames Ditton
When: Sunday 14th June
Distance: 10 Mile
How Much: From £24
Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park 10k
If you’re looking for a no-frills 10k that’s easy to get to, then this Stratford event is one of the best. A three-lap loop of the Olympic Park isn’t the most scenic route in the world, well, at least not after the first lap, but it’s pretty much pedestrian free.
The nicest thing about the QEOP 10k is the fact that it starts and ends at the restaurant cafe next to the ArcelorMittal Orbit, so even in winter you can sit in the warm before it all kicks off. If you’ve got any spectators coming along they’ll thank you. It also runs every month, so no need to worry about missing it.
Where: Stratford
When: First Saturday of every month
Distance: 10k
How Much: £18 (£16 club affiliated)
Cancer Research UK London Winter Run 10k
Central London races are pretty rare due to the difficulty in closing off the roads. So we were pretty chuffed when they launched the Winter Run last year, especially considering we much prefer running in the cold.
It may be a bit too soon for some people, but starting off the year with a race is a nice way to get into the right mindset. Even if it does mean you realise you may have had a bit too much fun over the festive period.
Where: Central London
When: Cancelled in 2020
Distance: 10k
How Much: £45
The Fix Event Series
A great series of no-frills events that take place all across London. We’ve done a fair few of them now and we’ve never had any complaints. Our favourite by far are the Richmond and Bushy park ones. What can we say, we like deer. They also run the hugely successful MoRun series in support of Movember.
Where: All over London
When: All year
Distance: 5k, 10k
How Much: From about £14
RunUK Events
Some great little 10ks and half marathons largely focussed in south-west London. The kind of races that are perfect for if you’re preparing for a big event and need something affordable to test your progress.
Where: All over London
When: All year
Distance: 10k to half-marathon
How Much: From about £20
Regent’s Park 10k Summer Series
A race series that runs over a six month period in the summer. This 10k is a three-lap route around Regent’s Park which is perfect for anyone from beginners to veterans. Aside from the obviously nice scenery, they often have home-cooked flapjacks at the end. And, if you’re lucky, you may get to see the giraffes as you run up the final kilometre past London Zoo (not guaranteed though).
Where: Regent’s Park
When: April 7th, May 5th, June 2nd, July 7th, August 5th, September 1st
Distance: 10k
How Much: Price: £19 (£17 club affiliated)
Tower of London Run
Bit of a weird one this, but great if you’re not confident with a specific distance. Essentially you run laps around the grounds of the Tower until you want to stop. So you can finish at 1k or 10k, it’s up to you. You still get a medal for any distance. Also great for testing your 1k speed.
Where: The Tower of London
When: TBC
Distance: As much as you want
How Much: £25
Richmond RUNFEST Marathon/ half marathon/10k
This was our favourite half marathon of 2015 for a number of reasons and a damn fine marathon in 2016. Firstly, the start is located in the grounds of Kew Gardens, which in itself is pretty cool. The first few kilometres of the course take you through the various tree-lined paths before you head out down the river to Teddington. It’s a hell of a nice route and ends at a little festival ground in Old Deer Park. You’d also be hard-pressed to find a finishers T-shirt and medal as good as these anywhere else.
Where: Richmond
When: Saturday 12th (10k) and Sunday 13th September (Marathon and half marathon)
Distance: Marathon, half marathon, 10k
Price: From £39.50
Salomon Richmond Half Marathon and 10km
If you were to tell us we were allowed to pick one place in London to run for the rest of our lives, it would probably be Richmond. You’ve got the river, the architecture, the scenery, and that’s not to mention all the bars and cafes you can nip into after you’ve finished.
This is the fourth year the race has taken place, and it’s been growing in popularity since it started. Great organisation, great location, and perfectly timed for anyone doing the London Marathon.
Where: Richmond
When: March 22nd
Distance: 10k, Half Marathon
Price: From £36.50 (10k)
Ealing Half Marathon
We’ve done every single one of these so far and we’ve never been disappointed. One of London’s most popular half marathon events that gets better every year. A great route, brilliant organisation, massively supportive crowds and a damn nice medal at the end.
Where: Ealing
When: September 27th
Distance: Half Marathon
How Much: From £40
Palace Half Marathon
A beautiful half marathon taking place in March, so perfectly placed for all you marathon trainers. One of only two surviving palaces that King Henry VIII owned, The race starts inside the gates of Hampton Court Palace and finishes within the famous gardens. After that, you can head for a wander around the maze or visit the world’s largest grapevine. Which is not something we often suggest when we talk about a race.
Where: Hampton Court
When: Sunday March 15th
Distance: Half-marathon
How Much: From £38
River Thames Half Marathon
A really flat race which takes in some of the nicest areas you’re likely to find on the Thames. Start off at Walton-on-Thames before heading to Hampton Court and back through Shepperton. Quite delightful.
Where: Walton-on-Thames
When: TBC
Distance: Half-marathon
How Much: From £31
Vitality London 10,000
The other big 10k in the city is always ridiculously popular, and rightly so. It’s an awesome route, has great organisation and the crowds love it. Much like a mini London marathon.
Where: Pall Mall
When: Monday May 25th
Distance: 10k
How Much: From £33
Vitality Westminster Mile
Taking place on the Sunday before the London 10,000, the Westminster Mile is a great chance to see what running a mile is really like (hard, trust us). Pretty amazing running as fast as you can outside Buckingham Palace though, without having to run 25 miles first.
Where: Pall Mall
When: Sunday May 24th
Distance: 1 mile
How Much: From £8
Did we miss anything? Let us know if you think there’s a race that should have been included. Send us a Tweet or an email and we’ll take a look.
Picture Credits: RandR Photos, The Race Organiser, The Winter Run, Ealing Half Marathon, Virgin Sport, Harry Hawkes 10, River Thames Half Marathon, RunThrough, Human Race, The Fix Events, Hampton Court Half Marathon
